WO1994017323A1

WO1994017323A1 - Improved nipple

Info

Publication number: WO1994017323A1
Application number: PCT/IT1994/000004
Authority: WO
Inventors: Giovanni Meirana
Original assignee: Giovanni Meirana
Priority date: 1993-01-27
Filing date: 1994-01-20
Publication date: 1994-08-04
Also published as: ITRM930010V0; IT232146Y1; AU6044194A; ITRM930010U1

Abstract

The present invention concerns a nipple (1) made up of plastic meterial and provided with two end threads (2) and a central length of tube (3) having external diameter equal to the diameter that a plastic material tube must have with respect to the diameter of said threads (2) and long enough to be cut into halves to realize two single nipples.

Description

IMPROVED NIPPLE

The present invention concerns an improved nipple. More particularly, the invention relates to a nipple made up of plastic material, and realized in such a way to allow to use the nipple either as double nipple or as single nipple.

It is well known to those skilled in the art that the nipples are now realized starting from a part of a metallic tube, threaded on both sides or only on one side, and provided with an external nut to be used to tighten the pipe fitting. In fact, for coupling metallic threads, materials like hemp are used interposed between the threads, said material requiring the tightening by high forces that can be obtained only by suitable tools.

Due to the introduction of plastic tubes, plastic nipples have been realized having the similar structural features of the metallic nipples. The plastic nipples are obviously obtained by molding.

To couple the plastic nipples, materials different from the hemp are used, said materials being interposed between the threads, e.g. liquid Teflon ®, lotite, etc., that allow to tighten the coupling with low stresses. From the above considerations, together with the fact that the unitary cost of a molding article is highly influenced by the amount of material used, it can be understood that it would be convenient to avoid to realize the plastic material nipple having the tightening nut.

It is also known to those skilled in the art that for the metallic pipe fittings the external diameter of the threads corresponds to the diameter of the tube, while for the plastic pipe fitting this is not true, so that in case one wishes to use a plastic pipe fitting to be welded on one side to a tube having the same diameter, and to be screwed on the other side to another pipe fitting, it would be necessary to work of the portion of the pipe fitting without the thread in order to obtain a diameter consistent with the diameter of the tube to be welded.

In view of the above, the Applicant has thought to realize a nipple made up with plastic material, without any tightening nut, having the thread with a suitable diameter and a not threaded length having a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the plastic material tube suitable for that thread.

It is another object of the present invention that of providing a nipple having a length of central tube long enough so that in case a simple nipple is needed it is possible to cut the nipple into halves, having thus at disposal two simple nipples perfectly functional and at half price.

A further object of the present invention is that of providing a double nipple less heavy or at most having the same weight of the double nipples presently available on the market, notwithstanding it is provided with a longer central length of tube, without being more expensive with respect to the already known nipples, but even being probably less expensive.

It is therefore a specific object of the present invention a nipple made up of plastic material and provided with two end threads and a central length of tube having external diameter equal to the diameter that a plastic material tube must have with respect to the diameter of said threads and long enough to be cut into halves to realize two single nipples.

Preferably, according to the invention, said two end threads are male threads having the same external diameter, the length of central tube having a constant thickness corresponding to the diameter of the threads.

Again according to the invention, said threads could be female threads. Further, according to the invention, said two threads could have different external diameter, the central length being thus realized by two sub-lengths having respectively external diameter corresponding to the diameter of the corresponding thread.

The nipple according to the invention can be realized by polyethylene, polypropylene, PVC or any other suitable material used in this field.

The present invention will be described in the following in an illustrative, but not limitative way, with respect to a preferred embodiment shown in the figure of the enclosed drawing representing a lateral view of a nipple according to the invention.

The nipple 1 shown in the figure has two lateral threads 2 and a central length 3 of tube. In the solution shown in the figure, the two lateral threads 2 have an external diameter of 42.4 mm, corresponding to a lead of 1" and 1/4.

In case of an iron tube, the external diameter of the tube would be equal to the diameter of the thread, but when a plastic material is employed, the external diameter is 40 mm, therefore the length 3 has an external diameter lower than the diameter of the threads.

Obviously, in case the threads are female threads, the ratio between the diameter of the threads 2 and the diameter of the length 3 would be based on the ratio between the inner diameter of the thread and the external diameter of the tube length.

For example, for an external diameter of the thread 2 of 17.2 mm (lead 3/8"), the length 3 should have a diameter of 16 mm, for an external diameter of the thread 2 of 33.7 mm (lead 1"), a diameter of 32 mm, for an external diameter of the thread 2 of 60, 3 mm (lead 2"), a diameter of 63 mm, for an external diameter of the thread 2 of 88.9 mm (lead 3"), a diameter of 90 mm, and so on.

In case the nipple 1 according to the invention must be used as simple nipple, it is sufficient to cut it at the half of the length 3, thus obtaining two simple nipples at a cost of 50%.

The threaded end of the simple nipple is normally coupled by screwing, while the length 3 is coupled by butt welding, socket welding, socket gluing, according to the material employed.

The present invention has been described with respect to a preferred embodiment of the same, but it is to be understood that changes and/or modification can be introduced by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope as defined in the enclosed claims.

Claims

1. Nipple characterized in that it is made up of plastic material and provided with two end threads and a central length of tube having external diameter equal to the diameter that a plastic material tube must have with respect to the diameter of said threads and long enough to be cut into halves to realize two single nipples.

2. Nipple according to claim 1, characterized in that said two end threads are male threads.

3. Nipple according to claim 1, characterized in that said threads are female threads.

4. Nipple according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said threads have the same external diameter, the length of central tube having a constant thickness corresponding to the diameter of the threads.

5. Nipple according to one of the claims 1-3, characterized in that said two threads have different external diameter, the central length being thus realized by two sub-lengths having respectively external diameter corresponding to the diameter of the corresponding thread.

6. Nipple according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is realized with polyethylene, polypropylene, PVC or any other suitable material used in this field.

7. Nipple according to anyone of the preceding claims, substantially as illustrated and described.